Come learn about Grant PUD’s 20-year plan to power the county

Grant PUD will host a public hearing, July 28, to present its 20-year plan for providing service in the most cost-effective way possible by assembling a viable energy portfolio, preserving flexibility, managing costs and reducing exposure to myriad uncertainties.

The 2026 “Integrated Resource Plan (IRP)” is a state-mandated analysis that details how the utility will meet its customers’ demand for electricity. The plan is updated every two years. This analysis covers the years 2027-2046.

The good news:

Grant PUD plans to have enough energy resources to meet customer demand throughout the 20-year IRP period. Resources include:

Hydropower from its Columbia River dams, Priest Rapids and Wanapum.

Energy purchases off the regional wholesale market.

The already acquired 460 megawatts of solar power, 260 megawatts of battery storage and our 10-megawatt share of wind power from Energy Northwest’s Nine Canyon Wind Project in Kennewick.

A potential “Provider of Choice” power-purchase contract from the Bonneville Power Administration.

The utility’s existing portfolio, together with its purchase of Renewable Energy Credits, will satisfy its state Clean Energy Transformation Act requirements until nearing 2045, when the state requires 100% of its energy supply to be carbon-free.

The challenges:

Grant PUD will need to add “capacity” – the ability to deliver more power – beginning in 2030 to have the resources necessary to participate in the Western Resource Adequacy Program (WRAP), a resource-sharing pool of Western utilities and a pillar of Grant PUD’s service-reliability and energy strategy going forward. This may involve adding more, preferably carbon-free, around-the-clock available generation, such as nuclear or geothermal, and more transmission.

The 20-year planning window holds much uncertainty, rising asset costs, variable weather conditions, transmission availability, clean-energy mandates, evolving markets and customer needs for electricity.

Staff will present a final IRP for commission adoption Aug. 25, 2026 and must submit the IRP to the state Department of Commerce before the Sept. 1, 2026 deadline.

Commissioners will host the hearing at Grant PUD’s Ephrata Headquarters, 30 C Street SW. Comment will be taken at the July 28 public hearing or submitted by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an Integrated Resource Plan (IRP)?

The IRP is a state-mandated, forward-looking analysis of how utilities plan to meet their customers’ demand for electricity in the most cost-effective way, while meeting the state’s clean-energy goals.

Which utilities are required to create an IRP?

Under RCW 19.280.030, utilities with more than 25,000 customers that do not receive their power from the Bonneville Power Administration must create a 20-year-IRP at least every four years and submit a progress report every two years.

What makes forecasting such a challenge when compiling the IRP?

The 20-year planning window holds much uncertainty, rising asset costs, variable weather conditions, transmission availability, clean-energy mandates, evolving markets and customer needs for electricity. Some of these factors are hard to forecast annually, much less 20 years out.

Given the uncertainty, why does Grant PUD make a 20-year analysis?

First, because state law requires we create a 20-year plan. Second, variables and uncertainties are always part of the challenge. By their nature, plans are formulated with incomplete information. We build our IRP around a range of plausible futures, not any single future. We want to reduce bad surprises by identifying risks and coming up with a plan that performs reasonably well across many possibilities.

How much staff time is spent developing the IRP

Work to create the 2026 IRP began in January 2025. It’s an internally driven, truly cross-functional effort involving 16 working groups, including District analysts, forecasters and energy market specialists, as well as staff from Large Power Solutions (Grant PUD’s largest customers), External Affairs and communications, Finance, Rates and Pricing, Transmission Business Services and Transmission Planning. This edition of the IRP also has a budget of $100,000 for externally contracted analysis. It’s a major effort.

How can customers – ordinary people – contribute to the IRP?

Grant PUD customers and other members of the public help by telling us what’s most important for your families and businesses. Your fresh perspectives and suggestions help keep us on track and our planning successful. Don’t be shy about reaching out.

Will the IRP keep Grant PUD from running out of power?

Grant PUD will not run out of power. Energy demand in Grant County has already grown beyond the capacity of our Columbia River dams, Priest Rapids and Wanapum, to supply it during summer and winter months. Demand will continue to grow. The IRP forces us to think ahead to be sure we comply with state law in assembling the energy resources we need to supplement our hydropower to ensure we have what we need to keep the lights on.

Why does Grant PUD sell our dams’ power to California or other states if we need it here?

Grant PUD buys and sells energy at the Mid-Columbia trading hub in the Northwest to balance periods when our generation exceeds our local demand or when additional power is needed. Grant PUD’s federal license to operate our dams also requires that about one-third of the hydropower we generate be made available to the broader regional market.

When Grant PUD has surplus energy, it sells into this market. Buyers may move the power to other states, such as California, for economic reasons. Historically, those buyers have been willing to pay higher prices for Grant PUD’s carbon-free hydropower, because even with a premium, it remained cost-effective compared to alternatives. This allows Grant PUD to benefit from increased revenues that help keep local electric rates lower. As demand within Grant County grows, however, periods of surplus generation are expected to become less frequent over time.

What happens next with the draft 2026 IRP?

Staff will present a final IRP for commission adoption Aug. 25, 2026. Grant PUD must submit the IRP to the state Department of Commerce before the Sept. 1, 2026 deadline.